What I thought care was

Few years ago, I believed that caring for people meant saving them throughout their journey. If I cared for someone, I felt it was my responsibility to step in, guide them, protect them, and prevent them from making mistakes.

I used to think that if someone close to me was about to make a mistake, I had to intervene. I had to guide, convince, explain, and somehow take responsibility for their choices and outcomes. In the process, I often found myself mentally and emotionally drained.

Rethinking Care

Over the past few months, through my journey with MVM, deeper self-reflection, the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, and a few difficult experiences, my understanding of care has changed.

I have learned that we can care deeply for people without trying to save them.
We can offer our help, support, and guidance, but whether someone chooses to accept it is their decision. We can extend a hand, but we cannot force someone to hold it. Our karma lies in offering; what happens after that is not in our control.

We can be a signpost, but we do not have to hold the steering wheel.

I learned this lesson the hard way. Caring for others does not require losing yourself along the way. We can genuinely care for people and still choose what gives us peace. We do not have to sacrifice our own well-being in order to prove our love or concern.
To me, care means wishing good for others, empathizing with them, and being present for them. But every person must walk their own path. They learn from their own experiences, choices, and mistakes. We cannot live those experiences for them.

Caring & Carrying

There is a difference between being there for someone and carrying them through their entire journey. We can support people while still allowing them the dignity of making their own choices. We can care for them and still let them learn the lessons that life is trying to teach them.

Care is a beautiful virtue. But stepping in every time may sometimes interfere with another person’s journey and growth.

Today, I believe my role is simple: to care, to help when asked, to offer when I can, and then to let go with trust.